


Grace

by AntarcticBird



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-07
Updated: 2014-12-07
Packaged: 2018-02-28 13:54:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2735051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AntarcticBird/pseuds/AntarcticBird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He knows now, he knows Kurt, he understands that it's not effortless at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Grace

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [klaineadvent](http://klaineadvent.tumblr.com/) Day 7: Grace

“I hate you for talking me into this,” Kurt says, taking Blaine's hands as he takes the first careful steps onto the ice, voice stern but something sparkling in the corners of his eyes.

Blaine grins, holds onto him, squeezes his hands a little. “It'll be fun, come on!”

“You say that every time,” Kurt reminds him, “and every time I end up falling on my ass.”

“But you look great doing it?” Blaine tries, then quickly shuts up under the heat of Kurt's glare, leans in to kiss his cheek instead, which is met by a squeal from his husband.

“Blaine! No sudden movements, please!”

“Sorry.” He tilts his head at him, grins apologetically. “Are you gonna be okay for a moment? I'm just going to -”

“Go, go,” Kurt cuts him off, letting go of his hands and waving him off. “I'll be fine, just come back here as quickly as possible before I completely humiliate myself.”

Blaine gives him a bright smile and then speeds off, just one or two quick rounds around the rink just for fun before he rejoins him.

They do this every year. And every year Kurt wobbles his way across the ice on shaky legs, and Blaine does _not_ just enjoy it because it's one of the few times he feels more graceful than his other half. Kurt has never really got the hang of skating, even though there's still something inherently graceful even in the clumsy way he stumbles and waves his arms as he makes his slow circles around the skating rink.

Blaine waves and blows a kiss at him as he speeds past after his first round, laughs as Kurt tries waving back and promptly slips and catches the railing before he can fall. He knows Kurt is indulging him, probably exaggerating his own clumsiness for Blaine's sake, and god, Blaine loves him for this.

It had been one of the first things he fell in love with, before they were ever even dating: the seemingly effortless grace with which Kurt approaches every challenge, the way he holds himself, the way he stands tall through everything life decides to throw at him.

He knows now, he knows Kurt, he understands that it's not effortless at all.

Kurt with his dancer's body, his patience, his compassion and his courage is also Kurt who eats cookie dough straight from the bowl with his fingers, Kurt who snaps at people, Kurt who cries because he tries so hard and everyone else still succeeds before him, Kurt who withdraws into himself and shuts everyone out when faced with the things he's scared of.

And Blaine loves him.

He loves his body, the controlled and elegant way he moves, the set of his shoulders and the stretch of his smile, his legs, his arms, the purpose behind each step and the sure movements of his hands.

He loves his mind, his soul, the way he cares and forgives and loves.

But he knows, there is more.

It seems effortless because grace always does, but what it is, what's really behind it, is strength, resilience and stubbornness, paired with the gentlest, warmest heart Blaine has ever known. Most of all, though, it's hard work.

It's hours of exercise, dance practice, discipline. It's careful planning of his outfits, it's nights spent studying and memorizing and organizing, it's being prepared for the worst while working for the best.

He's seen him angry, seen him lose his temper, listened to him when he was almost incoherent with rage. He's held him when he cried, through disappointments and setbacks and so many times the world was unfair to him. He's been there for him and held his hand and watched him get himself through it, helped when his help was needed.

He's watched him wipe away the tears, straighten his back, and walk out of his door to face the world with his head held high. He's watched him smile and hug his friends when they were happy even when he was not.

He is not perfect and he is not indestructible, he's determined to the point of single-mindedness and he's so goddamn _stubborn_. He can be impossible to read, withdraws into himself, he doesn't like compromises especially where little things are concerned, and he can be sort of careless in voicing his opinions.

But above it all, he tries. Blaine has never met another human being who tries as hard and as tirelessly as Kurt does, and he admires him for it. So much.

Kurt knows who he is and doesn't apologize for it, doesn't hide any of the things that make him himself. And there's grace in authenticity.

Blaine completes his second go around the rink, speeds toward Kurt with a silly roar and arms raised high above his head, and Kurt lets out an undignified shriek, eyes widening as he flails his arms, sways on his feet.

And Blaine catches him around the waist and spins them in a tight circle to keep his balance, laughing as Kurt curses at him and slaps his shoulder, breath coming fast and his cheeks red from the cold.

“I _knew_ you were just going to show off, seriously, don't _do_ that, how many times do I have to -”

“Your face was just priceless though,” Blaine informs him happily, pressing a firm kiss to his nose. “And your voice went so _high_ -”

“I _hate_ you,” Kurt tells him, hitting his shoulder again, and then his left foot slips and Blaine has to tighten his arms around his waist to keep him upright. “God, this is _horrible_ , why do I always agree to this?”

Blaine shrugs, letting go to take his hands instead, starts skating backwards to pull Kurt along with him. “Because you love me.”

“Yeah. Right now, I don't remember why, to be honest.”

“Because I'll buy you hot chocolate once we're done here?”

Kurt rolls his eyes at him. “Blaine, I'm an adult and I can get my own hot chocolate, thank you very much.”

“You'll also get a foot rub once we're home!”

“Now you're just bribing me.”

Blaine smiles widely. “Is it working?”

Kurt groans. “You're so lucky you're cute.”

“I'm okay I guess,” Blaine says modestly, fluttering his lashes at Kurt. “But I do have a _very_ cute husband.”

Kurt laughs, shaking his head at him. “Okay, okay, oh my god, I _am_ having fun already, you can stop it now. I'd much rather you concentrate on where we're going, are you sure going backwards like that is actually _safe_?”

Blaine lets go of one of his hands, turns so they're side by side instead. “Better?”

Kurt nods, opens his mouth to reply, then promptly trips and falls and before Blaine knows what's happening he's being pulled after him by Kurt's still very firm grip on his hand.

They crash to the ice in a tangle of limbs and while Blaine is still stunned by this very sudden change in altitude, Kurt lets out a surprised breath, lays very still for a second, and then starts _laughing_ , so hard Blaine feels his chest jump with it under his cheek.

“Are you okay?” he finally manages.

Kurt, almost sobbing with laughter, gently pats his hair with one hand. “I'm fine. Oh my god. That was certainly graceful. Are you all right?”

Blaine nods, lifts his head to meet his eyes with a grin. “Ready for that hot chocolate now?”

Kurt shrugs as well as he can sprawled across the ice underneath Blaine, hiccups out another laugh, and shakes his head. “This is just starting to be fun. We can stay a while longer if you like.”

“I love you,” Blaine says, and kisses him before helping him up and back onto his feet, and seriously, he doesn't know anyone more amazing than Kurt.

Because there's also a certain grace in a grown man wobbling his way across an ice skating rink, in the midst of twelve-year olds turning pirouettes all around him, just to make his husband happy.

Blaine holds his hand and feels like the luckiest man in the world.


End file.
